Better With Two: Smith and Tyler
by outcastfromgallifrey
Summary: "A series of episodes from series 3 and 4 rewritten as if they had taken place during series 2." - Episode 1 of 6: Takes place before School Reunion - Before going to aid Mickey in his hunch of aliens taking over an elementary school, the Doctor and Rose go to investigate a large hospital with an unusual reading of suspicious alien activity.'
1. Checking In

"Why are we going here again?" Rose asked looking up at the building before her. "I thought we were going to go answer Mickey's _'I found something really weird and I think it's aliens and you two should come right away'_ request?"

"We will, in a little bit," the Doctor leaned down next to her. "Besides, knowing Mickey, his definition of an 'alien emergency' could just be something rotting in his fridge."

"Yeah, could be," Rose laughed. "But seriously, what _are _we doing _here_?"

"I told you," the Doctor said. "Something weird's going on in this hospital. Plasma coils all 'round it! Been building up for two days now, so I think we should have a look! We can just check in!"

Rose shot him a glance as he grinned and walked through the doors of the Royal Hope Hospital_. _Various people were sitting in the waiting area, from small children with colds to reckless teens with broken bones. Rose noticed a tall man dress in full biker gear—including a shaded helmet—standing by an elevator.

"I thought you didn't like hospitals," Rose murmured to the Doctor as they walked up to the hospital's front desk.

"I don't, and, oh!" the Doctor stopped in his tracks. "I believe I forgot the most important part when checking one's self into a hospital."

"What's that?"

"An illness," the Doctor said plainly. Clutching at his stomach, the Doctor began groaning loudly. His eyes closed and he swayed in place. Rose reached forward and caught him as his knees buckled and he fell back.

"Oh, my stomach," the Doctor moaned leaning against her as she dragged him to the front desk.

"You are _such _a drama queen," Rose whispered to him. The Doctor grunted.

"Hello, and welcome to the Royal Hope Hospital," the receptionist said in a calm voice. "How may I help you?"

"Well, as you can see," Rose released the Doctor and he fell against the desk much to the worker's surprise. "My mate here isn't feeling well. He says it's something with his stomach. I think he must've eaten something bad or something."

"I feel terrible," the Doctor groaned lifting his head up slightly with a pouting face. He looked absolutely ridiculous. His skin seemed to have turned an unflattering shade of green and beads of sweet had begun to form on his brow. Rose brought a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Yes," the receptionist said slowly. "I see. Why don't you go sit in the waiting room, and we'll have someone get you a wheelchair."

"Thank you," Rose smiled and pulled the Doctor off the desk and over to the waiting area, the Time Lord groaning and leaning against her the whole way.

⋆⋆⋆DW⋆⋆⋆

"So how come _you _get to be the one who gets all the nice treatment and a warm bed to sleep in," Rose asked. "Whereas _I _have to fill out all the paperwork, make up some story on how you got sick, and get to sleep in a tiny rollaway cot."

The Doctor and Rose were currently staying in a small curtain-walled cubical in one of the hospital's rooms. The Doctor was lying in a hospital bed, snuggled in the covers, dressed in pajamas. The hospital staff announced that, since they couldn't find anything wrong with him, even though he looked completely sick, the Doctor would have to stay the night until his test results got back. This was perfectly fine with the Time Lord, for in actuality, it was his plan all along. Go out late in the night, when everyone was gone (besides the occasionally sleeping patient) and take a look around the building to see what was up. The doctors at the hospital had asked Rose if she would go out to bring her friend some more clothes, and Rose said she would. She had just been about to walk back to the TARDIS, when the Doctor stopped her and told her he'd already brought sleepwear and clothing for the next day.

"What are you serious?" Rose had said. "You've got clothes. Here, right now. In this hospital?"

To prove his point, the Doctor had reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the pair of pajamas he had worn in the Sycorax invasion on Christmas day. Complete with the long TARDIS blue robe.

"How—?" Rose began.

"Oh, come now, Rose," the Doctor had interrupted her. "Bigger on the inside!"

Then Rose had burst out into a fit of laughter, with the Doctor joining in. They quieted immediately when a nurse had walked in, and the Doctor began moaning again. Rose had clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away, desperately trying to stop her giggles.

"You don't _have _to stay the night here," the Doctor tilted his head toward Rose from where he was lying on the bed. "You can go back to the TARDIS if you want."

"Oh really?" Rose raised her eyebrows at him. "Then what was with the whole fanfare in front of the nurses, whining that you wanted me here?"

After getting the Doctor a room and filling out his paperwork, the hospital staff had told Rose that visiting hours would be over soon, and she would then have to leave. Upon hearing this, the Doctor went into a huge complaining fit, pleading for them to let her stay and practically clinging to Rose. He wouldn't calm down—or release Rose—until the doctors finally complied and allowed her to stay over for one night.

"I was just playing the part of a sick, needy patient," the Doctor muttered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Right," Rose said. "So if I was just to go back to the TARDIS now, you'd be perfectly fine with that."

"If that's what you want," the Doctor shifted uncomfortably in his bed. "Going back to the TARDIS. If you would be happier and more comfortable there, I mean."

Rose smiled at him, "but would _you _be happier if I was here?"

The Doctor shrugged and fiddled with his bed sheet.

"I guess I'll stay," Rose sighed and the Doctor looked up at her with a happy grin. "That cot doesn't look to uncomfortable. And besides, someone's got to make sure you don't get into any trouble."

"Me?" The Doctor said. "Get into trouble? That never happens."

⋆⋆⋆DW⋆⋆⋆

Turns out, Rose never did use the cot. After talking to the Doctor for quite a long time, a few nurses came in to check the Doctor over for the night. Exhaustion swept over Rose then, and she tried to stay away to listen to what the nurses said. After what seemed to be an hour, the doctors left and the Doctor and Rose were left alone. The Doctor began telling Rose of his plans for searching the hospital that night and for tomorrow. Rose listened to him as much as she could, but soon her eyes began to close and she drifted into sleep.

"And then I guess—," the Doctor broke off when he noticed his companion had stopped responding. "Rose?"

The Doctor turned on his side and looked over to see Rose sitting in a chair with her head resting in her crossed arms leaning against the Doctor's bed. Her hair fell over her face with her eyes closed and her breathing long and steady. A smile crept over the Doctor's face as he gazed at her.

"Sleep well, Rose Tyler," he whispered and leaning forward, placed a small kiss to her head. Then settling down in his bed, the Doctor watched Rose for a few minutes until sleep overcame him as well.


	2. Raining Up

"Looks as if you've got visitors," Rose whispered to the Doctor. The Time Lord sat up in his bed and looked out expectantly as Dr. Stoker and a mass of medical students walked into the room. It was early morning at the hospital, and Rose had already gone back to the TARDIS to wash and dress herself. Presently, she sat in her chair beside the Doctor.

Dr. Stoker came up to the two time travelers and pushed aside one of the curtain walls.

"Now then, Mr. Smith, a very good morning to you," the man said with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Oh, not so bad," the Doctor cocked his head. "Still a bit, you know, blah."

The Doctor pulled a face and stuck his tongue out when described how he was feeling, making Rose giggle softly.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains," Dr. Stoker told his students. The youths began writing down information on there clipboards as the man talked. Even though the Doctor had used the name before, Rose still got a little confused when Stoker called him John Smith.

"Jones," Stoker turned to a young woman standing next to him. "Why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The student nodded and walked over to the Doctor, pulling out a stethoscope from her pocket as she did.

"Are you a friend of Mr. Smith?" the woman said to Rose, glancing across the bed at her.

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "He's one of my best mates. Hate seeing him all sick."

"Hate being sick," the Doctor frowned. Rose gave him a sympathetic smile and took his hand, running her thumb over its back.

"Well I can see you two are very close," Miss Jones noted.

"Yeah, he made me stay here all night with him," Rose said. "Ask the nurses."

Miss Jones smiled.

"As time passes, and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Mister Stoker sighed. He gave the medical student a glare.

"Sorry," Miss Jones said sheepishly. "Right."

Bending down, she brought the stethoscope to the left of the Doctor's chest, checking his heart beat. A perplexed look spread across her face and she glanced up at the Time Lord. He smiled. Cautiously, she brought the chest piece over to the right of the Doctor's chest. Her eyes widened. The Doctor shot her a quick wink.

"I weep for future generations," Dr. Stoker grimaced. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Er, I don't know," Miss Jones shook her head with a confused smile as she stood up. "Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Mr. Stoker sighed giving his head a sorry shake. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart."

Dr. Stoker walled over to the end of the bed and picked up the clipboard hanging on the bar. He brought it up and touched the metal clip. Immediately, he dropped it as a small shock came from the metal, zapping his fingers.

"That happened to me this morning," Miss Jones said, nodding to the clipboard. The Doctor glanced over at Rose and raised a brow.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," a male student piped up.

"And me, in the lift," another student said pointing behind her.

"Well, that's only to be expected," Stoker calmly said retrieving the clipboard from the bed. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity. As was first proven by…? Anyone?"

Dr. Stoker looked around at his students.

"Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor called out.

"Correct," Stoker narrowed his eyes at the man.

"My mate, Ben," the Doctor smiled. "That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked."

"Quite," Stoker shot a glance at Rose and she forced out a smile.

"And then, I got electrocuted!" the Doctor looked about at the people gathered around him with a smile. He seemed very pleased with himself.

"Moving on," Stoker said, ushering his pupils away. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric. And next we have…"

The class moved out of earshot. Rose watched them go, smiling at Miss Jones when the girl glanced back over her shoulder. After they left, Rose turned back to the Doctor and elbowed him in the side.

"You can't just go saying stuff like that," she said to him. "Now people think you're mad."

"Oh, who cares what they think," the Doctor sat up and rubbed his neck. "We won't be here much longer anyway."

"Did you find anything when you searched the hospital last night?"

"Well," the Doctor titled his head. "Actually, I didn't really look around the hospital as much as I would have liked, which is to say, at all."

"What'cha mean?" Rose asked. "I thought your plan was to go out and look around? Don't tell me you didn't get a chance to, there was _nobody _here."

"It was," the Doctor said. "I just sort of, you know, fell asleep, maybe."

Rose giggled, "I thought you never sleep."

"I don't. Usually."

"What made last night so special that you had the need to sleep?"

"Nothing did," the Doctor started to climb out of bed. "I just sort of, did. But never mind that! That's not important! Why don't we go snoop around now?"

The Doctor grabbed his dressing gown and wrapped it around himself. Giving Rose a smile, he walked across the room and out the door with his companion following.

"Well, Mr. Smith, you seem to have recovered very quickly," Rose said to him when as they walked down the hall.

"Yeah, I have, haven't I?" the Doctor smiled and shoved his hands in his robe pockets. "Though, please don't call me Mr. Smith."

"Well I can't really call you 'Doctor', now can I?"

"Why not?"

"People think your name's Mr. Smith here," Rose looked around at the various patients walking down the halls. "They'll think I'll have lost it if I start calling you 'Doctor.'"

"Well, if you're lucky, you could end up in the same psychiatric department as me," the Doctor bumped her shoulder.

"Oh, shut up," Rose giggled. The two continued down the hall, peeking in various rooms, seeing if anything was out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary meaning 'extraterrestrial'. Rose could hear the rain pouring down from outside. She guessed that the thunderstorm Dr. Stoker mentioned had finally hit.

"Do you remember the last time we were in a hospital?" the Doctor voice broke through her thoughts.

"Oh, who could forget that," Rose replied. "Creepy cat nurses, zombies, Lady Cassandra. Oh, wait. I guess _I _could forget that, being that I was possessed for most of the time."

"That's true," the Doctor nodded. "Sort of forgot that part."

"Augh, I can't believe that creepy skin tag was in my head and using my body," Rose shivered. "It freaks me out every time I think about it."

"Do you remember anything that happened when she was controlling you?"

"No, not really," Rose frowned. "It was like I just sort of blacked out. Why?"

"No reason," the Doctor said quickly and continued along the hall. Rose watched him suspiciously with her brow furrowed.

A woman's voice sounded up ahead. Looking into a break room to the left of the hall Rose saw Miss Jones talking on her phone while another medical student made some coffee.

"Hey, look," Rose tapped the Doctor on the arm. "It's that student from before, Jones, wasn't it?"

"Hm?" the Doctor stopped and looked into the room. "Oh, yes. Right."

"She probably thinks she's mad now," Rose commented. "What with your two hearts and all."

"Well, I reckon she's the sanest out of us all," the Doctor whispered to Rose with a smile.

"Right you are there," Rose laughed. Miss Jones turned around and noticed the two time travelers in the door frame. Rose gave her a smile as the Doctor ushered his companion away.

After checking out the various rooms attached to the halls, the Doctor and Rose backtracked their way to the ward where the Doctor had been staying. An old man met them in the halls, towing around an oxygen machine.

"Have you seen the rain?" the man rasped pointing to a window behind him.

"It's only rain," Rose assured him with a smile as the Doctor went into the room, taking off his dressing gown as he did. Rose followed him, pausing as a few nurses walked out, each of them mumbling about the rain.

Rose frowned. Walking past the Doctor, she went up to the window on the far side of the room. It was still raining outside, but something was different.

"Doctor," she murmured.

"What?" he called out behind her.

"The rain."

"Why's everyone fussing about rain?" the Doctor snorted.

"The rain is going _up_," Rose said peering out into the rain. The Doctor ran over to Rose's side and stared out the window, his brow furrowed.

"But that's impossible," he muttered. "Unless—"

The Doctor broke off as a huge flash of lighting lit up the sky. A thunderclap followed immediately afterwards and the hospital shook. Rose let out a scream as the hospital rocked from side to side, lighting flashing all around it. The Doctor reached out to catch Rose as she lost her footing, but only succeeded in falling to the ground himself. Screams sounded from around the hospital and it tilted from side to side tremendously. Then, with a final tremor, everything stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Rose gasped pulling herself up in a sitting position.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor huffed crawling over to her.

"I think so," she breathed. "Yeah."

The Doctor stood up and offered Rose a hand, which she thankfully took.

"Felt like an earthquake," Rose said when he hauled her up. "Or—"

"Rose," the Doctor murmured tilting his head toward the window.

"It's night," Rose gasped. "Look. It was lunchtime."

"It's not night," the Doctor said walking up to the window.

"It's got to be," Rose came up beside him. "It's dark."

"We're on the moon, Rose."

"But how?" Rose stared out the window.

"We're on the moon," the Doctor repeated. "We're on the bloody moon."

The gray, mountainous landscape of the moon stretched out before them with planet Earth floating in space miles and miles away. Panic set in over the hospital, and Rose heard wails sound around them. The Doctor turned away from the window and went back into his cubicle. Rose heard Miss Jones' voice from across the hall.

"All right, now, everyone back to bed," the medical student was saying. "We've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry."

"Hold on," Rose murmured. Reaching her hand up, she began to unlatch the window in front of her.

"Don't!" a voice sounded behind her and she felt a hand pull her back. "We'll lose all the air!"

Rose turned to see one of the medical students from before, a young woman, standing beside her with a frightened look on her face.

"But, they're not exactly airtight," Rose countered. "If the air was gonna get sucked out, it would have happened straight away. But it didn't! So how come?"

"Very good point!" Rose turned her head to see the Doctor pull aside one of the curtain walls to his cubical to reveal himself fully dressed in a new blue suit. "Brilliant, in fact, Rose."

"Thank you," Rose smiled.

"Well then, the question is," the Doctor crossed the room to stand by his companion. "How are we still breathing?"

"But we can't be!" the medical student's voice quavered beside Rose.

"Well obviously we are, so don't waste my time," the Doctor stared out the window. "Rose, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda?"

"We past one by the patients longue," Rose said. "Yeah."

"Fancy going out?" The Doctor smiled down at Rose.

"Okay."

"We might die," he joked.

"We might not," she countered back.

"Good," the Doctor grinned. "Come on. Not her, she'd hold us up."

The Doctor pointed to the student as he walked out the room. The woman was sobbing softly beside Rose, and the time traveler put a hand on her shoulder before running after the Doctor.


	3. Judoon Platoon Upon the Moon

After a quick sprint down the hall, the two time travelers reached the balcony. Two clear doors blocked off the entrance in front of them. The Doctor glanced at Rose and she nodded. Together they each pushed open a door and stepped out on the platform.

Rose took in a deep breath and glanced at the Doctor. A smile was across his face as he clasped his hands behind back and walked to the edge of the balcony.

"We've got air," Rose joined him. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," he said. Rose leaned out over the balcony's wall gazing at the dark expanse before her.

"So much for meeting Mickey today," she sighed. "Great, now he's gonna be so angry. And mum, well…"

"You okay?" the Doctor asked his voice full of concern.

"Yeah."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?"

"No way," Rose shook her head. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."

"You think?" the Doctor looked out to the moon's landscape.

"How many people want to go to the moon?" she said. "And here we are."

"Standing in the Earthlight," the Doctor leaned his arms against the wall.

"You never cease to amaze me."

"Well, I can't actually take credit for bringing you here," the Doctor noted. Rose smiled and nodded her head.

"What do you think happened?" Rose asked him.

"What do you think?" the Doctor turned toward her.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose said. "Something extraterrestrial obviously."

"Now isn't that always the case?"

"Yup," Rose smiled. The Doctor grinned back then stood up. Reaching down he picked up a small stone from the balcony.

"Let's have a look," he said. "There must be some sort of—"

The Doctor broke off and hurled the stone into space. The rock flew through the sky and bounced off of what seemed to be a gigantic clear bubble.

"—Force field," the Doctor finished. "Keeping the air in."

"If that's like a bubble sealing us in," Rose realized. "That means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?"

"How many people in this hospital?" The Doctor furrowed his brow.

"I don't know, a thousand?" Rose guessed.

"One thousand people," the Doctor said. "Suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?"

A loud sound came from overhead and the two looked up to see three cylindrical spaceships fly slowly over the hospital.

"Head's up!" the Doctor called. "Ask them yourself."

The rockets flew a few hundred yards away and landed against the moon's surface. A staircase lowered itself down from the base of each ship and black figures marched out. Hundreds of aliens stormed across the moon in military formation, marching toward the hospital.

"What race is that?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Judoon," he growled. Grabbing Rose's hand, he pulled her back into the hospital and they ran down a stair case to the second floor. They crouched beside some plants in the hallway overlooking the main lobby. Judoon filed in through the doors and stood around the room. Each alien was clothed in a black armor suits with giant helmets over their heads. Small guns were at their hips attached to their huge black belts.

Once the Judoon had encased the lobby, a large alien walked into the center. He reached his hands up and removed his helmet revealing his face. Rose gasped.

"They're rhinos!" she whispered beside the Doctor. Sure enough, the head of the Judoon resembled that of a gray rhino with a long snout and horns sprouting from his nose. Rhino headed aliens with humanoid bodies.

"Space rhinos," the Doctor agreed. The helmetless Judoon's ears waggled and he gazed about the cowering patients in the lobby.

"Blos so folt doe no cro blo cos so ro," the rhino man grunted. All around him the other Judoon drew there weapons and pointed them out before them. The patients cried and covered their heads. But the Judoon made no move to shoot. Cautiously, one of the medical students from before stood up and walked over to the head-rhino.

"Er, we are citizens of planet Earth," he spoke up. "We welcome you in peace."

The rhino snorted and whipped around to face him. To the student's horror the Judoon commander pushed up against the wall, holding him in place. Reaching in his belt, the alien brought out a small machine and brought it up to the man's mouth.

"Please don't hurt me. I was just trying to help," the man stammered. "I'm sorry, don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me!"

The Judoon pulled the device back and pressed a button on its side. The man's voice came out, repeating what he had just said. The Judoon brought the device to his chest and pressed it into a plug in his armor.

"Language assimilated," the Judoon barked out. "Designation, Earth English. You will be cataloged."

The rhino brought another device from his belt and brought it up to the shaking student's face. A blue light shined on his forehead and a small trill came from the device.

"Category: human," the Judoon huffed. The alien grabbed the man's hand and brought the end of the device to its back, drawing a black X on it. Then he released the man and walked back to the center of the room.

"Catalog all suspects," he barked to his army. The Judoon spread across the room, shining the blue light in the patients' faces and marking their hands.

"Human, human, human," they grunted to one another after each scan.

From the second floor, the Doctor parted a plant in front of him, watching the Judoon take over the hospital and rip patients up from the floor. A woman yelped as she was pulled out from behind the hospital's gift shop.

"Oh, look down there," the Doctor smiled. "They've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Never mind that," Rose told him. "What are Judoon?"

"They're like police. Well, police for hire," the Doctor said. "They're more like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory," the Doctor's eyes darted around the lobby. "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it." The Doctor turned to Rose. "That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

The Doctor ducked out from under the plant leaves and walked around the second floor balcony to get a better look at the creatures. Rose followed him, standing up to peek over the glass wall for a bird's-eye view.

If they're police, are we under arrest?" Rose whispered. "Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No, but I like that," the Doctor looked over to her. "Good thinking. No, wish it were that simple. They're making a catalog. That means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

"Mmn, right," Rose nodded looking over at him.

"Come on then," the Doctor whispered standing up and running quietly down the hall. Rose went after him casting a glance over her shoulder as the Judoon spread out over the hospital.

The creatures climbed the stairs and overtook the halls, cataloging ever human in sight. Rose stopped to listen as the head rhino grunted out orders and the young man from before attempted to try to converse with the alien. Frowning, she ran ahead again and pushed open the door to a computer lab that the Doctor had run into.

"They've reached the third floor," she told him as she picked her way across the room, avoiding broken machines on the floor. The Doctor was sitting in a chair using his sonic screwdriver on one of the computers. Various windows were closed down on the screen as more popped up in their places.

"Oh what's wrong with this computer!" he shouted hitting the machine with his hand. "Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon."

The Doctor ran his fingers through his thick hair.

"Because we were just traveling past," he put his hands up. "I swear, we were just wandering. I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't. But I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil. So that's why we checked in. I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what are they looking for?" Rose asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor said as he started to type in various codes on the computer.

"Like you," Rose smiled.

"Like me," the Doctor glanced at her. "But not me."

"Haven't they got a photograph?"

"Well, might be a shape-changer."

The Doctor's fingers flew across the keyboard, searching through the computer's files.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Rose asked him.

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive," the Doctor replied. "They'll sentence it to execution."

"All of us?"

"Oh yes, but if I can find this thing first," the Doctor murmured. "Oh! You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are so completely thick! They've wiped the records! Oh, that's clever."

The Doctor smacked the computer again as he yelled about the Judoon. The screen's windows had closed and now an alien lock symbol had appeared on the monitor.

"What are we looking for?" Rose questioned as the Doctor ruffled his hair angrily.

"I don't know," he frowned. "Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms? Maybe there's a back up."

The Doctor grabbed the computer and turned it over, examining the monitor's backing. He brought the sonic screwdriver out and scanned the wires with it.

"Just keep working," Rose said and started to walk away. "All go ask Mister Stoker. He might know."

"You be careful," the Doctor looked up at her. "And come straight back when you're done."

"Right," Rose called over her shoulder as she ran out of the room. She ran down the hall looking for the man's office. Soon she came to a room with Dr. Stoker's name written on a plate beside it.

"Mister Stoker?" She called, knocking on the door and letting herself in. She stopped in her tracks and her mouth fell open as she saw two legs sticking out from behind a desk. Two tall men in black, leather biker suits stood against the wall, their faced covered by large helmets. From the floor behind the desk an elderly woman sat up and looked Rose's way. In her mouth she held a large straw with blood dripping from its end. Rose gasped and ran back out the doors.

"Kill her!" the woman screamed behind her.


	4. Radiating

Rose ran into the hall casting a glance over her shoulder as the two bikers ran after her. Turning her head back she saw the Doctor come out of the computer lab and she ran over to him.

"I've restored the back up," he said with a grunt as he caught her in his arms, slowing her down.

"I've found her," Rose gasped.

"You did what?"

A crash sounded behind them as the motorcycle men kicked down Dr. Stoker's door. They pushed patients out of the way and ran in the two's direction.

"Run!" the Doctor yelled and grabbed Rose's hand. They tore down the hall with the two aliens chasing after them. The Doctor pushed open the door to the stairs and jumped down them two at a time. He was about to turn down another flight when he skidded to a halt. Judoon were marching up the stairs toward them. The Doctor grabbed Rose and pulled her away, pushing her out another door.

As they ran down an empty corridor, the Doctor shot quick glances behind him and noticed that only one of the biker men was following them. Turning a corner, he skidded on the floor and put a hand against the wall to stop him from colliding with it. Rose ran beside him gasping for breath.

The Doctor turned and caught Rose pushing her down another hall and in front of him. The alien still chased after them, not seeming to tire. The Doctor opened a door in the hall and ushered Rose inside. Quickly he slammed the door in the biker's face and soniced the lock.

Rose was breathing heavily, gulping in as much air as she could. They were in a radiology room, with an x-ray machine in the center. The Doctor ran up beside her and ushered her behind the radiation screen.

"When I say now, press the button!" he called running over the x-ray machine.

"But I don't know which one!" Rose gasped.

"Then find out!" he yelled to her. The Doctor ran over to the machine and began flipping switched and sonicing it. Rose eyes scanned around the room until they fell upon the 'Operation Manuel' for the x-ray. Quickly she began flipping through the pages trying to discover how to work the machine. A crash sounded from the door as the leather-clad man tried to break through.

The Doctor opened the side of the x-ray machine and forced the sonic screwdriver in it. Adjusting the machine, he positioned it toward the door as the black biker crashed through the door. The door fell to the ground with a bang and the man marched into the room.

"NOW!" the Doctor screamed. Rose scanned the control deck and slammed her hand on a large yellow button. Immediately the x-ray machine started up, causing the lights in the room to glow. The Doctor squinted his eyes against the glare as the alien before him was rocked with spasms. Rose could see the Doctor's skeleton flash in the light as she peered through the glass.

The x-ray machine overloaded and finally burnt out, making the lights dim back to their originality. The biker's body gave a final shudder and he collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do?" Rose asked from behind the radiation screen.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand percent," the Doctor said walking around to stand over the limp form on the floor. "Killed him dead."

"But isn't that going to kill you?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Nah, it's only roentgen radiation," the Doctor shook his head. "We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out. I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it."

Rose went out from behind the radiation screen and walked over to the Doctor. He had a strange expression on his face, like he needed to sneeze but couldn't get it out. He began bouncing on the balls of his feet, shaking his body like he was preparing for a jog.

"And if I concentrate," the Doctor snorted. "Shift the radiation, out of my body, and into one spot. It's in my left shoe."

The Doctor began hopping on one foot shaking his left leg and kicking his foot out. To Rose, he looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Here we go, here we go. Easy does it," he grunted shaking his trainer in the air wildly. "Out! Out, out, out, out! Out, out! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Itches! Itches, itches, itches! Oh, ooh! Hold on!"

Ripping his shoe off, the Doctor tossed the trainer into a bin, slamming the lid back down. Regaining his breath, he turned back to Rose.

"Done," he said triumphantly.

"You're completely mad," Rose mused with a smile, her tongue poking out between her teeth.

"You're right," the Doctor said. "I look daft with one shoe."

Thus, the Doctor grabbed his other shoe and tossed with a similar fashion into the bin with its twin. Rose stared at him with her mouth gaping.

"Barefoot on the moon!" the Doctor clacked his teeth together. Rose blinked at him and then let out a laugh. The Doctor grinned.

"So what is that thing?" Rose went over to the motionless figure on the ground. "And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?

"It's just a Slab," the Doctor said kneeling across from Rose. "They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones. You see?" The Doctor squeezed one of the Slab's arms. "Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

The Doctor stood up and walked over to the x-ray machine, trying to pull out his sonic screwdriver.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan, I think," Rose said. "I saw her check in yesterday afternoon. It was working for her. Just like a servant."

The Doctor had succeeded and pulling a burnt and malformed sonic screwdriver from the machine. He frowned slightly and turned to Rose.

"My sonic screwdriver," he mumbled sadly to himself.

"She was one of the patients," Rose continued, standing up. "But—"

"Oh no, my sonic screwdriver!"

"—she had this straw like some sort of vampire!"

"I love my sonic screwdriver!" The Doctor whined and touched his broken device longingly.

"Doctor?" Rose said loudly.

"Sorry," the Doctor said tossing the charred screwdriver behind his back. It clattered to the floor, breaking against the ground.

"Anyway, Miss Finnegan is the alien!" Rose told him. "She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack, you'd think she'd be hiding," the Doctor nodded. "Unless… no. Yes, that's it! Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer! _Internal _shape-changer! She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it!"

The Doctor reached forward and placed his hands on Rose's shoulders as he explained what Miss Finnegan the alien was up to.

"It she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human," he disclosed. "We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and together they ran out of the radiation room and back into the hall. They ran up one of the staircases and were about to continue down the other hall when a door slammed from up ahead.

"Move!" the Doctor whispered pulling Rose into a small corridor attached to the main hall and crouched behind a water dispenser. Rose held her breath as she heard footsteps traveling down the hall. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder as the Slab's twin walked down the corridor in front of them and disappeared.

"That's the thing about Slabs," the Doctor murmured. "They always travel in pairs."

"You're one to talk," Rose said in a hushed tone. "Always have backup or someone. Usually me, if I may say."

"Well, that's just because humans are so amazing," the Doctor stood up. "Come on."

The Doctor walked out of the hall, and straight into a Judoon. The alien held up it scanning device and it bleeped in response.

"Non-human," the Judoon grunted.

"Oops," Rose whispered.

"And again!" the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as they ran away from the Judoon. Pulling out their guns, the soldiers fired lasers at them, nearly missing their heads. Rose and the Doctor turned the corner with the Judoon thundering after them. Scaling a flight of stairs, the Doctor ushered Rose out of the stairwell and into another hallway on the seventh floor. Once they were safe inside, the Doctor closed the door and manually locked it.

They continued down the hall, passing by patients. Everyone looked exhausted and were slumped on the floor, breathing slowly. Even the doctors were looking out of breath.

"They've done this floor," the Doctor said. "Come on."

Rose started slowing down in the hallway, trying to catch her breath. She looked to the side and noticed a familiar face giving oxygen to a patient. Miss Jones glanced up at Rose from the floor.

"The Judoon are logical, and just a little bit thick," the Doctor continued not noticing Rose had slowed. "They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

"How much oxygen is there?" Rose asked kneeling down beside the medical student. Miss Jones glanced at Rose uncertainly.

"Not enough for all these people," she sighed. "We're gonna running out."

The Doctor backtracked to Rose and glanced at her, concern in his eyes.

"How're you feeling?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Running on adrenaline," she told him with a smile.

"Welcome to my world," he grinned.

"What about the Judoon?"

"Nah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down," the Doctor looked down the hall. "Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," Rose hauled herself to her feet and pointed down the hall. They turned a corner into a dimly lit room, and the Doctor put a hand out to stop Rose. Cautiously, he continued into the room. It was empty.

"She's gone," Rose whispered. "She was here."

The Doctor ran across the room and behind the desk. Crouching down, he put a hand to the stiff form of Dr. Stoker, feeling for a pulse. Rose watched him, gazing down at the blue corpse in front of her.

"Drained him dry," the Doctor muttered. "Every last drop. I was right, she's a plasmavore."

"What's she doing on Earth?" Rose asked.

"Hiding. On the run," the Doctor said. "Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro." The Doctor looked down and began muttering to himself. "What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on."

The Doctor stood up and made for the door.

"Wait a minute," Rose called. The Doctor stopped and turned toward her, an eyebrow raised. Bending down, Rose leaned forward and closed Dr. Stoker's lifeless eyes. Then she turned and went after the Doctor. The two exited the room and continued down the hospital hall.

"Think, think, think," the Doctor said rubbing the back of his head. "If I was a wanted plasmavore, surrounded by police, what would I do?"

The Doctor looked up and saw a red sign labeled MRI with and arrow pointing to the left.

"Ah, she's as clever as me," he groaned. "Almost."

A crash sounded, and Rose and the Doctor whipped their heads around to see the Judoon crashing through the doors down the hall. Patients screamed and scrambled out of the way as the rhinos pushed past grunting, "Find the non-human! Execute!"

Rose felt a hand on her arm at raised her brows when the Doctor turned her to face him.

"Rose, stay here," he commanded. "I need time. You've got to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" Rose looked toward the marching aliens.

"Just forgive me for this," the Doctor looked intensely at her. "It could save a thousand lives. It means nothing. Honestly, nothing. Well, maybe—actually—oh forget it."

Before Rose could react, the Doctor grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers forcefully. The Doctor was kissing her, _actually _kissing her. God, she'd dreamed of this before, _often_. His lips worked firmly against her, molding his mouth into hers. Then, after a few moments, the Doctor pulled away and scampered down the hall in the opposite direction of the Judoon. Rose opened her eyes and let out a happy sigh.

"That was nothing?" she whispered, watching the Doctor turn down a corner.


	5. The Doctor's Demise

The Doctor tore down the halls, following the signs leading to the MRI room. Lights flashed from a room to his left and he changed his course in its direction. Stopping at the entrance, he pushed open the door and slowly walked in the room. An MRI scanner sat attached to the wall, energy dancing over its metal frame. Across the room, Miss Finnegan worked the controls to the machine, flipping switches and turning knobs expertly. On the back of her hand, a giant black X was plainly visible.

"Have you seen?" the Doctor said loudly pointing toward the door, making Miss Finnegan turn in his direction. "There are these things! These great big space rhino things! I mean rhinos, from space! And we're on the moon! Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon!"

Miss Finnegan turned away and started to resume her work on the MRI machine. The Doctor continued to make a fuss.

"I only came in for my bunions, look!" the Doctor picked up one of his bare feet and rubbed it. "I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment. The nurses were lovely. I said to my wife, Rose, er," he stammered a bit. "Well, I said I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon! And, did I mention the rhinos!"

Miss Finnegan turned her attention to the Doctor, glaring at him with icy blue eyes. The Doctor frowned at her, playing the part of the scared patient.

"Hold him," Miss Finnegan hissed. From behind a curtain, her Slab walked out and gripped the Doctor's arm holding them behind his back. The Doctor's eyes widened and he stared at Miss Finnegan with mock fear.

⋆⋆⋆DW⋆⋆⋆

The head Judoon pushed open the doors and stormed down the hall, his military force following.

"Find the non-human!" it growled. "Execute!"

Rose stepped out in the center of the hall, standing perfectly still as the rhino alien came up to her. She gulped when it reached her and stared down its long snout, towering over her.

"Now, listen," she stammered. "I know who you're looking for. She's this woman, calls herself Miss Finnegan, I think."

The head rhino snorted and pulled out its scanner, pointing it in Rose's face. It beeped and Rose wet her lips. The Judoon's ears twitched.

"Human," he confirmed. "Wait. Non-human trace suspected. Non-human element confirmed." The soldiers behind it drew their guns, aiming at Rose. "Authorize full scan."

Rose gasped as the rhino pushed her against the wall, holding her in place. She glanced fearfully at it and winced as it breathed hot stinky breath in her face.

"What are you?" it growled. "What _are _you?"

⋆⋆⋆DW⋆⋆⋆

"Er, that, that big, er, machine thing," the Doctor nodded toward the MRI scanner from where the Slab was holding him. "Is it supposed to be making that noise?"

The MRI scanner zapped and buzzed, with tiny bolts of light traveling around the cylinder. Miss Finnegan looked into the machine with a smile, her back toward the Doctor.

"You wouldn't understand," she waved a hand at him.

"But isn't that a, er, magnetic resonance imaging thing?" the Doctor said. "Like a, er, ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnetics GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same."

"A magnet with its setting now increased to fifty thousand Tesla," the plasmavore said happily.

"Ooo, that's a bit strong. Isn't it?"

"It'll send out a magnetic pulse that'll fry the brain stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles," Miss Finnegan turned to the Doctor with a smile. "Except for me, safe in this room."

Miss Finnegan walked back over to the controls of the MRI and started to press more buttons, making the machine spark and the lights flicker out. Only the glowing MRI scanner provided a way of seeing in the dark.

"But, er, hold on, hold on," the Doctor stammered. "I did, I did Geography GCSE, I passed that one. Doesn't that distance include the Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon," she answered. "The other half with survive. Call it my little gift."

"Sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm a little out of my depth," the Doctor looked confusedly at her. "I spent the last fifteen years working as a postman. Hence the bunion. Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine!" Miss Finnegan smiled. "To make my escape."

"Now, that's weird," the Doctor scrunched up his nose. "You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

Miss Finnegan looked directly at him and said, "Quite so."

"No," the Doctor's eyes widened.

"Oh yes."

"You're joshing me."

"I am not."

"I'm talking to an alien? In a hospital?" the Doctor smiled in spite of himself. "What, has this place got an ET department?"

"It's a perfect hiding place," the plasmavore gestured about her. "Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with, should the police come looking."

"So those rhinos," the nodded. "they're looking for you!"

"Yes," Miss Finnegan walked over to him and held up her marked hand. "But I'm hidden."

"Oh right," the Doctor tilted his head. "Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

"They're doing what?"

"Hm?" the Doctor looked to her. "Er, big chief rhino boy said, er, 'no sign of a non-human, we must increase are scans up to setting two'?"

"Then I must assimilate again," Miss Finnegan gritted her teeth.

"What does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human," Miss Finnegan walked across the room to retrieve a small bag. The Doctor watched her carefully.

"Well, you're welcome to come home and meet the wife," he said forcing out a smile. "She'd be honored. We can have cake!"

"Why should I have cake?" Miss Finnegan withdrew an object from her purse. "I've got my little straw."

Miss Finnegan walked toward the Doctor with a cruel grin and he looked down at her, trying to smile and not think of what was going to happen next.

"Oh, that's nice," he said. "Milkshake? Er, I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man," Miss Finnegan hummed. "And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him."

The Slab forced the Doctor to bend over on his side, exposing his neck to Miss Finnegan. The Doctor gasped and glanced over at the plasmavore as began to stroke his neck hungrily.

"What are you doing?" he gasped, his eyes wide.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt," Miss Finnegan cooed. "But if it's any consolation, the _dead _don't tend to remember."

Bringing up her straw, the plasmavore inserted it into his neck. The Doctor's breathing quickened as she started to suck the blood from his veins. Pain washed over him and he shuddered in the Slabs grasp, the life fading out of him.

⋆⋆⋆DW⋆⋆⋆

"Confirm, human," the head Judoon grunted, drawing a black X on the back of Rose's hand. "Traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search."

So that was all the kiss was. A genetic transfer. Just to get the Judoon off the Doctor's trail for a bit. How could she think it was something more? _Idiot. _Rose cursed herself inwardly.

One of the soldiers handed the chief rhino a small booklet with alien writing. It then passed to Rose with a grunt.

"You will need this," it grumbled.

"What's that for?" Rose said with a frown.

"Compensation," it grunted then signaled its soldiers to continue down the hall. Rose made a face at the papers in her hand and tossed them away. The Judoon marched down the hall in the direction the Doctor had taken and Rose ran after them.

A Judoon grunted from up ahead and the head rhino ran forward, smashing into a door on the side of a hall. Light was flashing from the room and Rose tried to get a good look at what was happening over the Judoons' thick helmets.

"Now see what you've done," the voice of Miss Finnegan called out. "This poor man just died of fright."

Rose felt her blood run cold. Desperately, she pushed past the Judoon and forced her way into the room. The Doctor lay collapsed on the floor his eyes closed and his chest not moving.

"Scan him," the head Judoon barked. One of the soldiers pulled out his scanner and shined it over the Doctor.

"Confirmation, deceased," the Judoon confirmed.

"No!" Rose screamed elbowing past the Judoon. "He can't be! Let me through! Let me see!"

One Judoon put a hand on her shoulder and forced her back. Rose gasped and tried to struggle out of his grasp.

"Let me go!" Rose pulled out of the soldiers hold and ran to the Doctor's body. She leaned over and shook his unconscious form trying to wake him. _He couldn't be dead._ Rose felt tears welling up in her eyes. Carefully she lifted his head and cradled it in her lap.

"You can't be," she whispered as tear rolled down her cheek.

"Stop," the head Judoon ordered. "Case closed."

"But it was her!" Rose yelled. "She killed him! She did it, she murdered him!"

"Judoon have no authority over human crime," the rhino growled.

"But she's not human!"

"Oh, but I am," Miss Finnegan held up her hand. "I've been cataloged!"

"But she's not," Rose said. "She assimi—," Rose paused looking over to the plasmavore. "Wait a minute. You drank his blood, the Doctor's blood."

Rose set the Doctor's head down gently and reached behind her, grabbing one of the Judoon's scanners. Pointing the device at Miss Finnegan, she narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, I don't mind," Miss Finnegan smiled. "Scan all you like."

"Non-human," the head Judoon snorted.

"But, what?" Miss Finnegan looked horrified.

"Confirm analysis," the Judoon ordered. Its soldiers obeyed and each took out their own scanners, pointing them at the plasmavore. Rose went back over the Doctor's limp form, holding him close as Miss Finnegan looked around the Judoon with a worried expression.

"Oh, but it's a mistake surely," the alien stammered. "I'm human. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Rose gazed down at the Doctor. She knew what would happen if he died. He'd regenerate, become a whole different man. Rose didn't know if she could get used to a whole new Doctor, after only loosing the other one only a few months ago. She couldn't lose her Doctor again.

"Confirm, plasmavore," the head Judoon barked. "Charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well she deserved it," the plasmavore spat. "Those pink cheeks, and those blonde curls, and that simpering voice! She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore!"

"Then you confess."

"Confess? I'm proud of it!" Miss Finnegan backed away and ran over the MRI scanner's controls. "Slab! Stop them!"

The Slab moved forward, but the Judoon simply pulled out their guns and fired, roasting the leather man. Rose shielded the Doctor's body as the Slab combusted before them.

"Verdict, guilty," the head Judoon barked. "Sentence, execution."

Miss Finnegan fiddled with two large red wires by the machine plugging them together. The MRI scanner crackled and large red letters flashed over it, spelling out MAGNETIC OVERLOAD.

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon!" the plasmavore screeched turning to the rhinos. "Because you're gonna burn with me! Burn in hell!"

All the Judoon fired their lasers at her, incinerating the alien as she screamed he last curse. Rose hugged the Doctor to her and shut her eyes against the red glare of the lasers.

"Case closed," the head Judoon growled.

"But what did she mean, burn with me?" Rose looked up at the alien. "The scanner shouldn't be doing that, she's done something!"

The Judoon leader stalked over to the machine as it flashed and crackled. Lifting its scanner, it brought the device up to the scanner and its ears flicked back.

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse," he growled.

"Well do something!" Rose said. "Stop it."

"Our jurisdiction has ended," the beast barked. "Judoon will evacuate."

"What? You can't just leave it! What's it gonna to do?"

The head Judoon pulled out another device and pressed a button on its side.

"All units withdraw," the Judoon spoke into it and its voice echoed throughout the hospital. Rose could hear the soldiers marching down the stairs and leaving the hospital, grunting as they did. The head Judoon nodded to his comrades beside them and they left the room, in single file.

"You can't go!" Rose screamed at them. "That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!"

The Judoon paid her no head and marched out of the room. Rose watched them go and then turned back to the Doctor. Carefully she set his head on the floor laying his body flat against the ground and opened his mouth slightly.

"Come on, Doctor," she whispered. "We need you."

Taking in a deep breath, she pressed her mouth to the Doctor's filling his lungs with air. Then she moved over to his chest and pounded her hands down where his left heart was. She repeated this process multiple times; gasping for air as the oxygen slowly ran out in the hospital.

"Two hearts," Rose groaned and pulled back. She began pounding on both sides of the Doctor's chest, one after the other, trying desperately to revive him. Rose struggled for breath, gasping in any air that was left in short, quick breaths.

With a final deep lungful of air, Rose leaned down and gave it to the Doctor. The Doctor's body convulsed and he coughed, gasping for air. Rose let out a small laugh of joy and sunk to the floor, unable to support herself anymore. Craning his neck, the Doctor blinked open his eyes and looked over to her.

"Scanner," Rose whispered as her eyes started to close, the lack of oxygen slowly pulling her out of consciousness. "She did something."

The Doctor pushed himself up on the floor and dragged himself over to Rose as her body went limp. Reaching out, he placed his hand to her cheek in a silent thank you.

The MRI scanner flashed and crackled, electric energy cascading over it. With his respiratory bypass system kicking in, the Doctor crawled along the floor and went over to the controls. Hauling himself up, he reached into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver, only to remember that he'd broken it.

"Oh, sonic," he growled and pulled himself over to a computer where two large wires lay. One was colored red and the other was blue, always the case for life threatening incidents with machines.

The Doctor looked over to the scanner and back at the wires, trying to decide which one would shut the machine down. Quickly he decided and picked up the blue one wire.

"No," he muttered and then chose the red one instead, pulling apart the cables. The scanner shut off and the lights flickered out in the room. The Doctor coughed and pushed himself away from the controls, bringing himself to his feet. Slowly he walked over the unconscious form of Rose on the ground and gently scooped his arms under her, hoisting her off the floor. He held his companion in his arms, with her head against his chest, and started out of the room.

Carefully he carried her down the hallway, passing by the other passed out patients. The Judoon's rockets could be heard outside, as they took off from the Earth's moon.

The Doctor carried Rose into the room they had checked in only yesterday and went over to the window. The large cylindrical Judoon rockets were launching off the surface shaking the hospital as their engines roared to life.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, please," he murmured. "Come on, Judoon, reverse it."

Soon, thick drops off rain fell down from space coating the hospital. A smile spread across the Doctor's face and he gazed down at his companion in his arms.

"It's raining, Rose," he whispered turning to look out the window once more. "It's raining on the moon."

A flash of lighting lit up the sky, blinding the Doctor with a dazzling light. The building shifted beneath him and the he laughed happily, cuddling Rose in his arms.


	6. Change of Plans

Rose blinked open her eyes to find the Doctor grinning down at her. She shook her head slightly and propped herself up from hospital bed she was lying on. The Doctor was sitting beside her, having adorned his long coat and had a new pair of trainers on his feet.

"Welcome back," he said gleefully.

"Hello," Rose smiled.

"Hello!"

"Are be back on Earth?" Rose looked out a window to her left, seeing sunlight streaming in.

"Yup," he nodded, popping the 'p'. Standing up, he offered Rose a hand and helped her up from the bed.

"But how? The scanner was—"

"Not to worry," he interrupted her as they began walking though the hospital. "I got it all sorted out. Simply unplugged the machine, then the Judoon reversed the H2O scoop sending the hospital back. You sort of fainted, so I just carried you to this bed here, and now you're awake!"

Rose shook her head, trying to take in all that had happened. She was still slightly dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and swayed ever so slightly. The Doctor noticed this and entwined his hand with hers as they exited the hospital.

"Mmn, thanks," she said leaning on his arm. "Still a little light-headed."

"Well, nearly dying from lack of oxygen can do that," the Doctor mused as they passed by various ambulances once they reached the outside. Police cars were parked around the hospital and doctors were running about, helping various patients. Rose noticed Miss Jones sitting on the back of an ambulance with a tired expression on her visage.

"Speaking of dying," Rose glared at the Doctor and slapped his arm. "Don't _ever _do that to me again!"

"Ow!" he cried rubbing his appendage. "What did I do?"

"_What did you do?_" her voice rose. "You got your blood sucked out by some bloody alien and _died_! I thought you were going to regenerate on me again!"

"I knew you'd be able to revive me!"

"Doesn't matter!" Rose walked ahead of the Doctor. "You still scared the hell out of me. Next time you fancy dying, warn me first!"

"Wasn't that kiss enough of a warning?"

Rose stopped in her tracks and spun around. The Doctor had his hands shoved deep into his pockets and was leaning on the balls of his feet.

"I-I thought that was a genetic transfer," Rose crossed her arms. "Not a _warning."_

"It was," the Doctor said reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. "Well, it was sort of both reasons, mostly a genetic transfer, but also a warning of my impending doom."

"People don't usually assume the person whose kissing them is going to die."

"Really?" the Doctor walked up to Rose with a cocky grin. "But don't all your human films have the hero kiss the girl before going to battle with the great big villain, to which she thinks with possibly be the hero's demise?"

"Well, all those films you mention are all fantasy," Rose forced herself not to smile, as the Doctor raised a brow.

"Oh? People assume time travel is fantasy too," he grinned and nodded his head to where the TARDIS was parked.

"Oh, you're hopeless!" Rose let out the laugh that had been bubbling inside her. "There's no point in arguing with you, you always win."

The Doctor giggled and nodded. Taking Rose's hand in his again, they began to walk back to the TARDIS.

"That's me," he said. "The big winner! Though, I'm sorry about, you know, dying and all."

"Well you're okay now," Rose said hugging his side. "That's all that matters."

The Doctor smiled and opened the TARDIS's wooden doors. The ship hummed as they entered and its lights flickered on inside.

"Aw, look," the Doctor cooed running up the main console. "She missed us! Didn't you, old girl? Who missed me? Of course you did."

The Doctor patted the time rotor affectionately and Rose stifled a giggle.

"So!" the Doctor turned to Rose and spread his arms. "Off to answer Mister Mickety-McMickey's problem?"

"Oh, yeah," Rose sighed sitting down at the jump seat. "More running around. I don't know about you, but right now, I just wanna relax."

"Well," the Doctor casually sat down next to her. "We could always take a slight _detour _before we go. You know, just a little break. He wouldn't know the difference."

Rose pretended to ponder this for a while.

"Maybe a little procrastination won't hurt," she smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, you see, there's this little planet, Ignisopus, that has the most amazing firework displays you've ever seen!" the Doctor gestured with his hands, a grin playing across his face. "Lights up the whole sky, making pictures and words with fire! Like Gandalf does in _Lord of the Rings_. It is absolutely dazzling! We could just lay on one of its many hills and watch the colors dance across the sky through the night! Oh, you'd love it!"

"Mmm, that's sounds wonderful," Rose hummed. "But I'll have to warn you, I'm a little tired and might fall asleep when we're there. Do me a favor and wake me if that happens?"

"Well if you do indeed happen to fall asleep," the Doctor smiled at Rose and went over to the main console, setting a course for planet Ignisopus. "Then I'll pick you up in my arms and carry you to the TARDIS and tuck you in your bed, wishing you pleasant dreams as you sleep. As long as that's okay with you, of course."

"I'll have to take your word for it if you do," Rose giggled and went to stand beside him, giving his shoulder a bump. "But I guess that's fine if you do."

The Doctor's eyes lit up and he grinned at her. Flipping a switch on the console, the TARDIS hummed as it traveled through the time vortex.

After they had reached planet Ignisopus, Rose did in fact drift into sleep during the fireworks ceremony, and the Doctor happily fulfilled his promise, giving Rose a soft goodnight kiss to her forehead as he pulled the bed covers over her sleeping form.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading the first episode of my _'Better With Two'_ series! And thanks for all the comments Up next is _The Doctor's Daughter_...


End file.
